Sandwich-based Horsley Witten Group, a full-service environmental consulting firm providing sustainable and resilient design solutions, has been honored with a regional award for its design for reuse of the iconic Crook Point Bascule Bridge in Providence, R.I.
Horsley Witten, along with project partners Johnson and Wales University and the City of Providence, received the 2023 Excellence in Urbanism Award on Sept. 14 at the Fall Summit of the New England Chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU New England). In selecting the 2023 winners, CNU New England prioritized projects that contribute to the creation of walkable, sustainable and equitable places in New England. The project proposal is also the winner of an international competition hosted by the City of Providence.
The award was accepted by Horsley Witten’s Jon Ford, Johnson and Wales University Professor Jonathan Harris, and Joseph Mulligan III, director of planning and development for the City of Providence.
“I am so grateful to be accepting this award on behalf of Horsley Witten Group,” said Jon Ford, Senior Associate of Community Design at Horsley Witten Group. “We wanted this ambitious design to focus on climate-based resiliency, provide a welcoming environment for all, and to celebrate the structure’s iconic status while also fitting it into a cost-effective project.”
Colloquially known as the “Stuck-Up Bridge,” the Crook Point Bascule Bridge spans the cities of Providence and East Providence over the Seekonk River. It has been left in the upright position since its abandonment in 1976, becoming a local “icon” of urban decay.
Horsley Witten’s design calls for a series of unique riverfront public spaces to connect people physically and visually to both a restored riverbank and a celebrated bridge structure, the existing remnants of which was originally planned for total demolition. The CNU Jury noted how the project underscores the need to preserve and renew historical landscapes which in turn affirm the continuity and evolution of urban society.
The railroad bridge was originally built in 1908 to provide a direct link between Providence Union Station, New York-New Haven and Hartford railroad lines.
